Couple urges Bathurst council to examine dangerous dog rules following violent death of family pet

A Bathurst couple is calling on city council to take a hard look at its animal control bylaw after an evening stroll resulted in the death of their family pet.

Serge Lessard and Christine Landry alleged their 11-year-old dog Cookie was attacked by a larger dog while walking on St. Patrick Street back in September.

A veterinarian's report shows Cookie was in pain, having suffered several broken ribs and punctured lungs, so the made the heart-breaking decision to have her euthanized.

The couple is questioning the time taken by both the Bathurst Police Force and the Bathurst Animal Shelter to investigate, as well as why the dog wasn't immediately declared dangerous under the city legislation.

They allege that two weeks after the attack, the same dog was spotted at the city's dog park under control of an 11-year-old child.

Lessard and Landry are calling for changes of how complaints of dangerous dogs are dealt with so other don't have to go through the same ordeal they did.

Deputy mayor Ricky Hondas says losing a pet is like losing a child or family member and that such incidents leave people with a poor impression of the city.

Hondas says council will be holding further discussions around the matter.

Meanwhile, Bathust Police Force's Cst. Jeff Chiasson says his department responded to the complaint as there were no animal control officers at the time of the incident.

Since the, Chiasson says, two new animal control officers were hired.

He says the file was returned to the animal shelter for follow up and that police have no further comment to offer on the matter.